Cleaning apparatus

ABSTRACT

A cleaning apparatus is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a rod body, a cleaning portion and a positioning device. Mainly, the cleaning portion is positioned for the cleaning portion being non-rotatable relative to the rod body by the positioning device. Therefore, when a user operates the cleaning apparatus, the cleaning portion would be positioned at a rotation degree between the cleaning portion and the rod body for increasing a stability of said operating.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus.

2. Description of the Prior Art

A conventional swabber is a cleaning apparatus for swabbing a floor. A user needs to repeatedly wring the conventional swabber out when progressing said swabbing, so that the conventional swabber is not conveniently to operate. Thus, another conventional swabber is provided. The conventional swabber has a rotatable cleaning head. A centrifugal force is produced by a rotation of the cleaning head so as to dry the cleaning head.

However, the rotatable cleaning head of the conventional swabber is only adapted to swab the floor. The rotatable cleaning head has a disadvantage for swabbing other objects which are different from the floor. For example, when the user operates the rotatable cleaning head toward a surface of a top (such as a ceiling) for swabbing, the cleaning head would be repeatedly rotated due to a rotatable property and a gravity influence of the cleaning head. Thus, the user needs to rotate the cleaning head to correct an angle of the cleaning head relative to the conventional swabber, so that the conventional swabber is laborious and time-consuming and needs to be improved.

The present invention is, therefore, arisen to obviate or at least mitigate the above mentioned disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaning apparatus, in which the cleaning apparatus could provide a rotation limiting function for stably operating.

To achieve the above and other objects, a cleaning apparatus is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a rod body, a cleaning portion and a positioning device.

A rod body is a hollow tube and has an internal space formed therein. A first end is defined at one end of the rod body. The cleaning portion is rotatably assembled at the first end of the rod body and has a long axis located in the internal space of the rod body. A trench is formed on the long axis. The positioning device has a body and a packing member. The body is assembled to the rod body and has a scooping portion communicating with the internal space. The packing member is movably assembled to the body and has a rib formed thereon. The rib is adjacent to the scooping portion.

When the packing member is rotated relative to the body, the packing member is pressed by the rod body and the rib passes through the scooping portion and enters the trench of the long axis so as to limit the long axis so that the cleaning portion is unrotatable relative to the rod body.

Therefore, a user could rotate the packing member relative to the body, so that the packing member is pressed by the rod body and the rib enters the trench of the long axis. When the user progresses a cleaning work via the cleaning portion, the cleaning portion would be positioned at a rotation degree between the cleaning portion and the rod body for providing a stable operating function.

The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which show, for purpose of illustrations only, the preferred embodiment(s) in accordance with the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the present invention for showing the cleaning apparatus is operated;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the present invention;

FIGS. 4-5 are partial cross-sectional views of the present invention for showing a long axis is moved relative to a long through hole;

FIGS. 6-7 are cross-sectional views of the present invention for showing a rib is moved and enters a trench; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-3 show a cleaning apparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning apparatus includes a rod body 1, a cleaning portion 2, a driving device 3 and a positioning device 4.

The rod body 1 is a hollow tube and comprises a first rod 11 a second rod 12. An internal space 110 is formed in the first rod 11. The first rod 11 has opposing first end and second end. A longitudinal axis is defined by the first rod 11. The second rod 12 is sleeved into the second end of the first rod 11. The second rod 12 is movable along the longitudinal axis in first rod 11, and the second rod 12 is rotatable relative to the first rod 11. The first rod 11 further comprises a connecting sleeve 111, and the connecting sleeve 111 sleeves a connecting site between the first rod 11 and the second rod 12.

The cleaning portion 2 is rotatably assembled to the first end of the first rod 11 and comprises a connecting portion 21 and a plate surface 22. One end of the connecting portion 21 is pivotally connected to the plate surface 22 and another end is rotatably connected to the first end of the first rod 11. A plurality of cleaning cloth strips (or another fabric with a cleaning function) is assembled at a bottom side of the plate surface 22. A long axis 23 is defined on the connecting portion 21 of the cleaning portion 2, and the long axis 23 is located in the internal space 110 of the first rod 11 and has a trench 231 formed thereon. In the embodiment, the long axis 23 is spiral (the trench 231 is spirally extended so as to form a continuous spiral channel). In other embodiment, the long axis 23 could be any other shapes.

The driving device 3 is used to drive the cleaning portion 2 and comprises a shell 31 and a rotating member 32. The rotating member 32 is assembled in the shell 31 and is rotatable in a predetermined direction relative to the shell 31. The long axis 23 passes through the shell 31 and the rotating member 32. The shell 31 is fixedly assembled in the second rod 12. The shell 31 and the rotating member 32 respectively have ratchet structures which correspond to each other. When the shell 31 is moved along the long axis 23 toward one end of the long axis 23 (from a top end of the long axis 23 toward a bottom end of the long axis 23), the rotating member 32 is not rotated relative to the shell 31 because of the ratchet structures, so that the long axis 23 is driven to rotate by the rotating member 32. In contrast, when the shell 31 is moved along the long axis 23 toward another end of the long axis 23 (from the bottom end of the long axis 23 toward the top end of the long axis 23), the rotating member 32 is rotated relative to the shell 31 by the spiral channel of the long axis 23, so that the long axis 23 is driven to rotate by the rotating member 32.

Under above arrangement, when a user wants to operate the cleaning apparatus to rotate the cleaning portion 2, the user downwardly presses the second rod 12 toward the first rod 11, and the long axis 23 is driven to rotate by a movement of the rotating member 32 of the driving device 3 so as to rotate the cleaning portion 2; thereafter, when the user upwardly pulls the second rod 12 from the first rod 11, the long axis 23 is not driven to rotate by said movement of the rotating member 32 of the driving device 3, so that the long axis 23 with the cleaning portion 2 would be still rotated to the same direction via Newton's first law of motion. Thus, the user could repeats said sequence so as to continuously rotate the cleaning portion 2 to the same direction for wringing the water from the wet cleaning cloth strips of the plate surface 22 of the cleaning portion 2.

Referring to FIGS. 3-5, the positioning device 4 is used to limit a rotation of the cleaning portion 2. The positioning device 4 comprises a body 41 and a packing member 42. One end of the body 41 is fixedly assembled to one end of the second rod 12 being close to the first rod 11. The packing member 42 is movably assembled to the body 41 and has a rib 421 formed thereon. Preferably, the packing member 42 is formed as a non-enclosed ring shape and sleeves the body 41. The rib 421 is formed at one end of the packing member 42 close to a non-enclosed site of the ring-shaped packing member 42. The packing member 42 is made of an elastic deformable material, so that the packing member 42 could be inwardly or outwardly deformed to change an external diameter of the packing member 42. The packing member 42 is sleeved into the second end of the first rod 11 accompanied with one end of the second rod 12. A maximum external diameter of the packing member 42 is at least larger than a diameter of the internal space 110 of the first rod 11. The packing member 42 is sleeved into the first rod 11 via a compressing deformation of the packing member 42. Normally, the packing member 42 would continuously expand to abut against an internal wall of the first rod 11, so that the packing member 42 is rotatable via a rotation of the first rod 11.

Furthermore, the body 41 has a scooping portion communicating with the internal space 110, and the rib 421 is adjacent to the scooping portion. The scooping portion includes a long through hole 411 communicating with the internal space 110 and an aperture 412 communicating with the long through hole 411. The axis 23 of the cleaning portion 2 passes through the long through hole 411, and the rib 421 of the packing member 42 is located at the aperture 412. Besides, in another embodiment, the body 41 could be fixedly assembled to the first rod 11, and the packing member 42 is sleeved into the second rod 12 accompanied with one end of the first rod 11.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 6-7, when the user wants to limit a rotation of the cleaning portion 2, the user could respectively hold the first rod 11 and the second rod 12 to rotate the first rod 11 relative to the second rod 12, so that the packing member 42 is pressed by the internal wall of the first rod 11, and the rib 421 of the packing member 42 passes through the scooping portion and enters the trench 231 of the long axis 23. Clearly, when the first rod 11 is rotated relative to the second rod 12, the packing member 42 would be driven to rotate relative to the body 41 by the first rod 11. When the first rod 11 is rotated to a predetermined position, the rib 421 of the packing member 42 would abut against an edge of the aperture 412 of the body 41, so that the packing member 42 could not be rotated relative to the body 41. Thereafter, the user could continuously rotate the first rod 11 to press the packing member 42 (the user could continuously rotate the first rod 11 relative to the second rod 12) and the rib 421 enters the trench 231 of the long axis 23 via a deformation of the packing member 42 (the packing member 42 is tightly shrunk). Referring to FIG. 7, the long axis 23 is limited from rotating by the packing member 42. Therefore, the packing member 42 is pressed by the first rod 11, and the rib 421 passes through the scooping portion and enter the trench 231 of the long axis 23, and the rib 421 abuts against a surface of the trench 231 for limiting the long axis 23 from rotating. Thus, the cleaning portion 2 could not be rotated relative to the rod body 1 via said positioning the long axis 23.

In the embodiment, when the rib 421 enters the trench 231, the rib 421 does not always abut against the surface of the trench 231. In other wards, the long axis 23 is positioned by the rib 421, and the rib 421 would abut against the surface of the trench 231 only when the long axis 23 is rotated, so that a rotation of the long axis 23 is limited (the long axis 23 is still rotatable in a limited range). Normally, the rib 421 does not always abut against an edge of the trench 231. On another embodiment, when the rib 421 enters the trench 231, the rib 421 always abuts against an edge of the trench 231, so that the long axis 23 is totally fixed and is completely non-rotatable.

Besides, in order to improve a pressing efficiency between the packing member 42 and the first rod 11, at least one plane is formed on an external surface of the packing member 42, and the plane abuts against the rod body 1. The first rod 11 has a further internal plane corresponding to the plane of the packing member 42, so that the packing member 42 could be efficiently pressed by the rod body 1. In a second embodiment of the present invention (as shown in FIG. 8), a plane 422 is formed on a lateral side of the external surface of the packing member 42, and two planes 112 correspond to the plane 422 are formed on an internal wall of the rod body 11. When the first rod 11 is rotated, the plane 112 of the rod body 1 would abut against the plane 422 of the packing member 42, and the first rod 11 tightly presses the packing member 42, and the packing member 42 would smoothly deform so that the rib 421 enters the trench 231. Certainly, said planes 112, 422 could be replaced as any other corresponding structures that abut against each other.

Therefore, when the user upwardly or transversely operates the cleaning portion 2 to swab a plane, the user could hold the first rod 11 and the second rod 12 with two hands and rotate one relative to another. The long axis 23 of the cleaning portion 2 is positioned by the rib 421 of the positioning device 4, so that the plate surface 22 would not be rotated due to the gravity or other influences, and the cleaning portion 2 would remain at a position relative to the whole rod body 1 for the user to conveniently swab the plane with the cleaning portion 2. When the user wants to release said positioning, the user only needs to reversely rotate the rod body 1, so that the cleaning portion 2 would be rotatable relative to the rod body 1.

Under above mentioned, the present invention has following advantages. The user could operate the cleaning portion 2 to be freely rotatable or to be positioned so as to increase a stability and a convenience of said operating. Besides, the user could directly rotate the first rod 11 relative to the second rod 12 for quickly positioning or releasing the cleaning portion 2.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cleaning apparatus comprising: a rod body being a hollow tube and having an internal space formed therein, a first end is defined at one end of the rod body; a cleaning portion rotatably assembled at the first end of the rod body and having a long axis located in the internal space of the rod body, a trench formed on the long axis; and a positioning device having a body and a packing member, the body assembled to the rod body and having a scooping portion communicating with the internal space, the packing member movably assembled to the body and having a rib formed thereon, the rib being adjacent to the scooping portion; wherein, when the packing member is rotated relative to the body, the packing member is pressed by the rod body and the rib passes through the scooping portion and enters the trench of the long axis so as to limit the long axis so that the cleaning portion is unrotatable relative to the rod body.
 2. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod body includes a first rod and a second rod; the internal space is formed in the first rod; the first rod has opposing first end and second end; the body is fixed to the first rod and the packing member is sleeved into the second rod accompanied with one end of the first rod.
 3. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod body includes a first rod and a second rod; the internal space is formed in the first rod; the first rod has opposing first end and second end; the body is fixed to the second rod and the packing member is sleeved into the first rod accompanied with one end of the second rod.
 4. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the first rod is rotated relative to the second rod, the packing member is pressed by a wall of the internal space of the first rod, and the rib passes through the scooping portion and enters the trench of the long axis.
 5. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the packing member is formed as a non-enclosed ring shape and sleeves the body; a maximum external diameter of the packing member is at least larger than a diameter of the internal space of the first rod; the packing member is deformed and sleeved into the first rod, so that the first rod presses the packing member via rotating the first rod.
 6. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one plane is formed on an external surface of the packing member; the plane abuts against the rod body and the rod body presses the packing member.
 7. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rod body has a plane corresponding to the plane of the packing member; the plane of the rod body abuts against the plane of the packing member and the rod body presses the packing member.
 8. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the packing member is formed as a non-enclosed ring shape and sleeves the body; the scooping portion includes a long through hole communicating with the internal space and an aperture communicating with the long through hole; the axis of the cleaning portion passes through the long through hole; the rib of the packing member is located at the aperture.
 9. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein when the packing member is rotated relative to the body, the rib abuts against an edge of the aperture of the body and the packing member is non-rotatable relative to the body; when the packing member is pressed by the rod body, the packing member is deformed and the rib enters the trench of the long axis.
 10. The cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the long axis is spiral; the cleaning apparatus further comprises a driving device assembled to the rod body and movably sleeves the long axis; when the driving device is moved toward one end of the long axis, the long axis is driven to rotate by the driving device; when the driving device is moved toward another end of the long axis, the long axis is not driven to rotate by the driving device. 